Forced
by Mystrothedefender
Summary: Batman finds himself in a bit of a state, and has no idea how he got there, all he knows is that, for some reason, Joker is helping him.
1. Chapter 1

**A new Batman and Joker fic for you all.**

**I hope you enjoy it!**

Joker looked down at the crumpled heap of bat, bleeding on the floor.

He crouched down, holding his hand to Batman's neck, checking for a pulse.

"Thank god…" he said gently, "I thought those bastards had killed you."

Joker hooked his arms around the larger man, straining to lift him, pulling him down the dank and dark alleyway, down a small corridor. Batman's legs twitched slightly as he tried to move away from the clown, not knowing where he was being taken.

Joker made a gentle hush noise, pulling him across the old wooden floor, he placed him on a half-worn bad, lifting the man's legs and laying him down.

He watched as Batman squirmed uselessly, "Batsy," he said sharply, "Stop squirming, you'll just make it worse."

The clown pulled something from a table nearby, and lifted Batman's wrist. Batman felt pain run through his arm, and heard the soft noise of metal on metal as Joker attached to him what he soon realised was a pair of handcuffs, "Sorry," Joker said, attaching the other end to the bed, "But I can't have you getting away again."

Batman tried to hold back a screech of pain as Joker took his arm, inspecting it, and laying it gently by the man's side.

"Dislocated… gash to the head, no concussion though – that's odd… and a rather nasty laser burn to the leg."

Batman lay gasping on the bed, hissing in pain, unsure why Joker was acting like this.

"We'll have you fixed up in no time!" Joker yelled, Batman felt a wash of fear flood him, remembering the last time the man had said that, after which he had pulled out a surgical knife, and just started cutting.

Joker watched Batman try to inch himself away, he chuckled, "Calm down, I _do_ actually want to help you this time."

"W-Why..?" Batman asked breathily, beginning to still himself.

Joker shrugged, "Because we are now both on the same side."

Batman frowned, even that caused him pain, "N-No…w-we're-"

"Hush, laddy… You're going to make yourself sick!" Joker pulled a medical kit from seemingly nowhere, and began prodding at Batman's wounded head.

The touch made his head spin with pain, making his body convulse a little, making him moan.

"Shit, they really did get you good didn't they?!" the clown said with a soft chuckle, continuing despite the bat's discomfort.

"Why are they going after you? I thought you were friends."

Batman swallowed the hunk of vomit in his throat, "I-I don't k-know…" he said gently, for once it was true, he really had no idea, he hardly even remembered the past week.

He remembered something about an invasion… but then, only black.

"You not knowing something? Makes a nice change."

Batman groaned as Joker began stitching the gash on his head. "Batsy… I might have to take your cowl off to get at this properly."

"…F-Fuck you," Batman growled defiantly.

Joker laughed loudly, "Ah, oh, yes! I should expect nothing more," he continued stitching, pausing only to mop up newly discovered blood, "Fine, I won't, but if it starts smelling like egg then I'm taking it off if you like it or not."

Joker stitched all he could of Batman's head, then moved to the man's arm, pushing it forcefully until it popped back into place.

Joker smiled as Batman let out a harsh scream, letting the arm hang again, "Oh you liked that?"

He moved down to the burn on Batman's leg, pulling back the material around the wound, inhaling the rancid scent of burned hair.

"Now I know Batman has dark hair…" Joker mumbled to himself, he pulled out a can of antiseptic-spray.

Batman roared as Joker sprayed his leg, feeling the hot sting of pain ebb through him.

"Hush little Batman, don't say a word, daddy's gunna get you a mocking bird," Joker sang gently. "…Well, no I'm not. Honestly I don't even know what a mocking bird looks like."

Joker stared down at the bat, waiting to see if he would get a chuckle or a smile. He pouted when no such thing came, and he got to his feet.

"And now we wait!" he yelled, flinging his arms into the air, "If you're not dead by morning then I'll make you pancakes. Doesn't that sound nice?"

Again Batman didn't respond, he lay panting on the bed, Joker huffed slightly, "Well… even if you're not, I am hungry, I'm going to make myself some food. I'll check back on you in a bit."

Joker left the room, leaving Batman under the soft sickly glow of the street light which shone through the half-cracked window.

Bruce didn't even know where he was, or how he got there. He struggled to remember, but it hurt, his head screamed. It was as if the memory was locked away, any attempt to remember just sparked more pain.

He could hear Joker singing in the kitchen, even the noise of that hurt.

Why was Joker being so nice to him?

Why was his mind telling him to relax?

Joker could have killed him, left him to die… why had he helped?

He felt sleep began to creep up on him, making his lids heavy, dulling his pain, he didn't want to sleep, he didn't know Joker why had brought him here, or what he planned to do, but he didn't have the strength to move. He didn't know why. He felt like it had been days since he slept.

He closed his eyes, all he could hear was Joker's singing, he absent-mindedly moved his mouth along to the words as his mind forced him to fall to sleep.

"Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree.

Merry, merry, king of the bush is he,

Laugh Kookaburra, laugh,

Kookaburra, gay your life must be."

**Please leave a review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi, second part! Hope you enjoys it!**

Batman looked around the room, he had been awake for almost 5 minutes, and still he could see no way to escape, he didn't have his belt and he could hardly move.

He could hear voices, two of them, Joker's and… he wasn't sure… it sounded like Riddler.

"You're making him pancakes?" the Riddler's voice asked.

Joker: "I told him I would, and I'm not one to break my word."

Riddler: "Sure… If you do this every time we're going to run out of money."

Riddler, after a few seconds of silence: "Are you going to take them in, or me?"

Joker: "I'll do it, the poor mite deserves to see a _pretty_ face."

After a few seconds of silence, during which Batman assumed some signalled insults must be being thrown, Joker began to sing again, the same song as the previous night.

Batman heard someone approach the door. Joker trotted in holding a plate of pancakes, "Still here I see?" he said as he walked across the rickety wood floor, he placed the plate on the bed, and Batman stared down at it.

Was Joker stupid? Did he actually think Batman would eat these?

Joker nudged the plate towards him, then rolled his eyes, "Oh… Still don't remember, eh? They must have got you good this time Batsy."

"What?" Batman grunted in reply, it was true, his memory was fuzzy, the last thing he remembered was Joker dragging him here, he knew he had been beaten up, judging by his wounds he had been attacked by Superman and Hawkgirl. But he didn't know why they would… or… anything.

Joker sighed, and began to eat the pancakes he had brought in, "Oh I won't bother telling you, you'll freak out and try to get out and then I'll have to find you again and I just don't have time for that…" Joker sighed gently, before smiling widely at the costumed man, "Why don't you just eat your pancakes, hm? Ed will have the new device sorted in a little bit, and then we'll tell you what's happened ok?"

Batman frowned, straining to pull himself up on the bed. Why would Joker not tell him? It wasn't as if he _could_ escape, he was sure he'd faint if he so much as moved his legs. He felt as if he'd been attacked, brutally, and frequently at that.

"What happened to me…?"

Joker lifted an eyebrow, "Uh… You got beat up?"

"This feels like more than just that."

Joker let out a huffed chuckle, "Oh boy… might wanna wait for your brain to adjust first."

Batman growled; he was stuck in a strange place without any of his equipment or even the ability to move without causing himself serious pain. "Joker, tell me what I am doing here."

And Joker hadn't even attempted to hurt him, he was being _nice_ genuinely nice, or trying to be.

Why was Joker working with Riddler? Why were Riddler and Joker not fighting over who got to keep his decapitated head as trophy?

"Why does this room seem so familiar?" Batman asked quietly as his eyes scanned the room yet again for an escape opportunity.

Joker rolled his eyes and sighed, "You're not going to just let it come to you, are you? You're going to force it…" the man rubbed his hands together, "You are here because your _friends_ attacked you, again. And this place seems familiar because you have been here before."

"When have I been here before? Why don't I remember anything?" Bruce could feel his temper rising, threatening to take him over before he could get his answer. There was something about Joker that always brought out his emotions when they weren't wanted.

Joker picked at his fingernails, shrugging slightly as he talked, not seeming to pay any attention to the Batman's angst.

He was always angsty, one more ounce of it couldn't hurt.

"You have been here," Joker said, chewing his lip in mocked boredom, "…Ooh… I'd say 5? Maybe 6 times, in the past two weeks. You've escaped each time, so far, hopefully not this time."

"What?" Batman growled.

"Look…Batsy, baby… I don't know _what_ it is that does this to you… that's what we're trying to find out."

"Joker, what are you talking about?!" Batman snapped, clenching his fists.

Joker sighed, turning his head, "You are so impatient… Look… There's something happening, out there, outside this house-"

"What?"

"-…Will you let me finish? Or do I need to gag you… _again_." Joker growled out the last word, a deep, mocking, sexual tone that made Batman's stomach turn.

The injured man lashed out, picking up the thing closest to him; the painted china plate that held his breakfast, and hurled it at the Joker's head. Joker dodged it with ease and the object smashed against the wall.

Joker raised his hand to his head, and let out a soft sigh, "…Riddy will not be happy about that," he turned head to the door and yelled "Riddle-face, he did it again!"

Riddler's head appeared in the gap of the door, the confusion on his face turning to anger once he noticed the shattered china on the floor, his deep frown fell quickly to despair, "Batman... For... god's..." he moved in, picking up the fragments of china, "My plates, you're _trying_ to break them all aren't you!? You know they're my favourite ones and you're trying to upset me. Fuck you... Third day in a fucking row, at this rate I'll run out by Monday."

He turned to leave, glaring daggers at the injured vigilante, "If you do it one more time, you'll have no home to go back to," with the last word, he left the room, slamming the door in frustration, swearing loudly on the other side of the wooden door.

"…And now I have to deal with that, thank you ioh/i so much, Batsy…" Joker said with a fake smile.

Batman swallowed hard, looking at where the plate had smashed, the mark it had made on the wall. "Why are you and the Riddler working together?"

"Oh it's not just me and copper-knob, it's all of us… almost. We've got a nice little team going here."

"Why?"

"…Well I would tell you," Joker said with another sigh, "but you keep interrupting, and being a dick."

Batman frowned, not only because Joker was avoiding telling him what was going on… there was an odd weight on the white-skinned man, he seemed slumped, unhappy. "Tell me what's going on."

Joker's smile widened, "Only if you promise not to freak out…"

**Please leave a review! I love knowing what you think :3**


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3! I hope you enjoy it!**

"So are you beginning to understand…?" Joker said, raising an eyebrow condescendingly, crossing his arms as he spoke.

"I…Am not," Batman growled. Maybe it was the blow to his head, or the pain that filled his body, but he truly couldn't grasp it, or understand how a feat would be possible.

Joker sighed, "Just like last time…" he held out his hand, gesturing madly as he talked it through in it's most basic components, "Them, puppets, you, no puppet, you try stop them be puppets, they hit you with rock. Understand?"

Batman frowned, "Don't talk to me like that."

Joker shook his head, "If I don't talk like that then you won't understand…" he got to his feet, "Are you able to get up? I'm sure your help will be welcome in the workshop."

"I don't think I am, yet, give me a few minutes."

Joker looked down at an imaginary watch, "I'm just wondering," he said, pouting, "How you will be staying with us this time before you decide your fists can do better than our technology."

"W-Why would I do that," Batman said as he attempted to stretch himself out on the bed, wincing in pain as he did.

Joker let out a growled laugh, "You decide our progress is too slow, after you see what they are doing on the news."

"What are they doing? Who's 'they'?!" Batman said loudly, forcing himself to sit up.

Joker shook his head, "Shush, little Bat-baby. It's too soon for you to know that."

The clown shifted slightly, looking down at the vigilante, "Now, sweetheart, I have work to do. If you want to join us then please do come and help… but know that you cannot get out of here."

"Why not?"

Joker smirked, "Riddler has put high-techy locks on there, only he can open them."

"Then how did I get out in the past?"

Joker laughed loudly, tipping his head back, "As if I would tell you that! What do you take me for?"

The corner of Batman's mouth twitched, as if a smile was trying t force itself onto his lips, "Gullible?"

Joker giggled lightly, "Oh Batsy, was that a joke? Surely you can't believe that."

Batman forced his legs off the side of the bed, and prepared himself to stand, he was unsure if he would be able to, but he would have to try, he couldn't just let himself sit there.

Joker held out his hands as Batman tied to stand, preparing himself to catch the taller man. Batman wobbled on he feet, "I'll try to help," he mumbled. He tried to take a step forward, and felt himself loosing his balance. He fell back onto the bed, and Joker let out a chuckle, coving his hand with his mouth.

"Oh dear, my, Batsy," he cooed, "You may need a few more hours rest…" he walked towards the door, leaving Batman to sort himself out on the bed, "I'll check in on you, darling."

He closed the door behind him and locked it, he walked down the small hallway and into what should be the living room, which had been turned into a workshop; benches and computers and heaps and heaps of wiring strewn everywhere.

"He's going to sleep for a bit more," Joker said to Edward, the man nodded gently, not looking up from his work. "I think they're getting pissed off at him bugging them."

Edward nodded again, "I should expect so," he mumbled through gritted teeth, "I wish he had more patience… him running off all the time is distracting. I've lost a total of 14 days _looking_ for that man."

Joker rolled his eye, "I know, I know, you say it every time."

"No, every time I say it, that number gets _bigger_," Riddler growled, finally looking up from his work.

Joker shook his head, gesturing dismissively as he walked to his workspace, taking a sip of the 2 hour old coffee that sat there. He began to chew on his lip as he resumed his work, his eyes flicking over to Edward every now and then. He had no idea how that man could keep his concentration for so long; he'd barely left his work area in two weeks, there was a visible _wall_ of rubbish forming around his workspace.

How could he concentrate when _Batman_ was in the other room, sitting there… all cute and helpless… and sleeping.

Joker couldn't help letting out a tiny growl, looking back towards the Batman's room. Riddler's head jerked towards him, "No , Joker," he said through gritted teeth, "We need him, you're not doing that shit again."

Joker pouted, "But it'd be so easy…"

Joker felt something sharp hit the side of his head, "No," Riddler said again, a little louder, "You'll freak him out, again, he'll try to run away _again_. So, no. Do your damn work."

Joker hissed gently and forced himself back to his work, "…Couldn't I torture him…? Even just a little…?"

"No!" Riddler shouted, "You can't keep focus for two fucking seconds can you? Damn it…" Riddler shook his head and turned on his soldering iron, mumbling to himself.

Joker sighed, shaking his head, "Do you have to be so weird..?"

"Do you have to be so murdery all the damn time?" Riddler yelled, "We're trying to save our damn way of life, all you wanna do is… I don't even want to think about what you want to do to that poor man."

"I want to think about it… I want to _do_ it…" Joker growled.

Riddler huffed, turning from his work, "Do I have to ban you from the room? Really?"

Joker sighed, "Fine! I'll be quiet… I didn't snap at you when you got all murdery last time."

"I got murdery because he kept picking holes in my work, not because I'm a psychopath."

Joker leant on his desk, raising an eyebrow at his friend, clearing his throat gently.

Riddler looked up at him, smirking slightly, "…Not _just_ because I'm a psychopath…"

**Please review ^,^**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi! Part 4! I hope you enjoy it!**

**I wrote it while my internet was down today...**

"Batman," Edward said calmly as he heard the man hobble into the room, not even looking up from his work. Batman narrowed his eyes, not knowing how Riddler had known who it was without looking, but not being stupid enough to ask.

"Where's Joker gone?" Batman forced himself to ask.

Riddler sighed slightly, still not turning his head, still focusing on his soldering work, "The correct response to me saying 'Batman' is for you to say 'Riddler'. Joker's gone out for more supplies. I told him to wait for the others, but ino/i he imust/i have at least 1 thing to eat every two hours or he loses his concentration."

"Others?" Batman asked, feeling himself tense slightly at the thought of being as helpless as he was, and surrounded by more of these lowlifes than he already was.

Riddler nodded, "Yes, and I will ask you to be polite this time."

Batman frowned, wavering on his feet a little, but not wanting to sit down or go back to his room; he needed to stay up, stay alert. "What did I do last time?" he asked in an attempt to keep his mind focused.

Riddler smirked to himself, shaking his head a little, "You were incredibly rude, it was funny but I don't think Jervis appreciated it. He was a little hesitant about coming this time."

Batman let out a short grunt, shifting slightly, looking down longingly at the loose-leather armchair that sat by the door to the kitchen.

This house, he had discovered while walking through it, was really rather tiny; it had many rooms but all of them were around half the size of an Arkham cell. This room, it seemed, was intended to be the master bedroom.

Riddler quickly turned his head, his eyebrow raised, "You don't seem too well, Bruce, sit down, or go back to bed, I'm not having you ill when the others get here."

Batman's eyes widened, becoming still and tense. Riddler noticed and shook his head, "…Idiot… damn idiot. iYou told me/i," he said slowly, "A month and a half ago." He shook his head yet again, giving a gentle wave of his hand, "I'm not going to pretend I don't know."

Batman frowned deeply, a month and a half? How long had he been here? Why would he tell Riddler his name? He couldn't decide which question was more deserving of an immediate answer. "Why would I tell iyou/i?" he asked after a few seconds.

Riddler put down his soldering iron, turning himself on the spot to fully face Batman, "You don't need to know why. iYou/i can figure it out for yourself."

Batman grit his teeth, frustrated by the lack of an answer, but knowing the only way to get one from Riddler was to beat it out of him, with physical strength that he currently didn't have. "How long have I been here?"

"Joker didn't tell you?" Edward sneered, "Around… 3 failed attempts, 2 'hissy fits' and 1 mental breakdown ago."

"How long, Riddler?" Batman growled.

Edward shrugged, "Honestly, I'm not sure exactly. A little over 3 and a half months, I think. I'm usually a little more precise but, I got caught up in all this, and lost track somehow."

Batman looked down at Riddler's workdesk, not paying much attention to what Riddler was now rambling about. "What are you making?"

Riddler smiled, "You mean what are iwe/i making. Jervis, Ivy and Jon are doing the chemical side, me, you and Joker are doing the technical."

Batman frowned again, unable to make any real sense of what was being said, "Is that everyone?"

Edward shook his head, "No, there are others, we're just the most important… " He turned back to his work, "If you're not going to help, then go back to bed."

He frowned when Batman didn't move, "Or at least sit down?"

Batman looked down at the chair, it seemed to be almost mocking his weakness. He'd never wanted to hit an inanimate object so much in his life.

He jumped suddenly as a loud beep noise came from the floor below, Riddler however, didn't move an inch.

"Honey, I'm home!" Joker yelled up the stairs, "Got some yums!"

Edward rolled his eyes; he didn't eat when he was working, but Joker always got him food anyway. "What did you get this time?"

"Brownies! Chocolate fudge, with hazel-dust. Your favourite!"

Riddler growled, "I'm going to get fat if you keep getting me them…"

There was a loud rumble of footsteps as Joker ran up the stairs, coming through the door with his hand outstretched, a bag of brownies held in it. "Now you know my plan," Joker smirked as Riddler took them.

Batman frowned, watching their exchange, it made him uncomfortable, seeing them act like 'normal' people.

He hoped the others wouldn't act like that. That may be a little too much for him.

**Please leave a review ^,^**


	5. Chapter 5

**Heyy I'm going through a rough patch at the moment I'm having to watch my boyfriend 24/h because he's taking it so much harder than me. So this part is really quite bad in my opinion. I've been so distracted.**

The two 'villains' had left Batman alone to clean himself up and look over the plans for the device, although he wasn't really sure what it was for, it looked like some kind of disrupter.

He was unsure about taking his cowl off while he washed; maybe Riddler was the only person he'd told.

He felt safer with his cowl on.

He washed himself and re-dressed, Riddler said the others would be here in 2 hours, that gave him two hours to re-learn what was going on. Thankfully there didn't seem to be too much, he was sure he could do it.

He stepped out of the bathroom, finding himself pinned by a pair of bi-coloured blue and yellow eyes. "Harvey?" he questioned.

The shorted man stared up at him, "You almost got your self killed, Bruce," he said gruffly, pulling Batman into a tight, and confusing, embrace.

Batman swallowed; Harvey had never known who he was, how must he have reacted when he found out?

"Harvey," he said again, "I-I was told you wouldn't be coming for another 2 hours."

Twoface pulled away, seeming suddenly cold again, as if he had expected something other than that as a response. "I wanted to help get things ready."

Edward's head popped round the corner of one of the rooms, "Harvey," he almost snapped, "Come away he… he doesn't remember yet."

Harvey let out a short 'Oh', stepping away and frowning, "So he still-"

"Doesn't know anything, yes," Edward nodded, coming up to take the two-faced man by the hand, "Come on, leave him alone."

Bruce frowned, shaking his head a little as Twoface walked away. He needed to find Joker, Joker had been walking around with blue prints to something and he wanted to find out what that was.

He was downstairs in the rubbish-ridden livingroom, connecting pieces of paper together with coloured ribbon, mumbling to himself about positions and timing. "Batsy," Joker noted as Batman entered the room, turning with a smile to face the man.

Batman frowned, "Everyone knows who I am?" he asked the clown, watching him move about the room.

Joker nodded, "Yes," he sneered, "Though if they keep calling you by _that_ name I may shoot someone…" he huffed gently, seeming genuinely upset that he wasn't the only person who knew Batman's real identity anymore.

"Don't," Batman said sharply, "Give me those," he growled, gesturing towards he blueprints in Joker's hand.

Joker grinned and nodded, handing him the paper, "If it's too advanced for you just gimme a yell and I'll explain it for you."

Bruce glared at the clown, snatching the working-drawing and glancing down at it, reading over the neatly scrawled notes. As he did, Joker continued staring at him, he looked up, "What?" he asked.

"You really have no idea of your effect on people do you."

"What?" Batman frowned, "Effect?"

Joker scoffed, turning away, "Each time you do this, you forget the relationships you've developed. We don't."

"What relationships?"

"The first time you were here, you and Riddler stayed up together for 39 hours straight, by the end you were talking _synchronously_," Joker growled, he sounded so angry and Bruce didn't know why, it wasn't his fault he didn't remember. Why was Joker talking about what had happened between him and Riddler? Joker didn't care about other people, why would he bring it up?

"What does that have to do with anything?" Batman asked, frowning gently, genuinely confused.

Joker shrugged, frowning a little, "Nothing, really… I'm just not looking forward to having that kind of thing happen again."

Batman blinked in confusion, he was talking as if he actually cared, Batman would expect him to find that kind of thing ridiculously funny.

"Read that," Joker instructed, "Learn it. But if you dare become close to anyone I will cut your head off. I'm not having you running off again." His frown suddenly flipped into a smile, "You got that, darling?"

"What are you talking about, Joker? You can't…"

Joker nodded, "I can do whatever I please. Except live how I want, and I have always lived how I've wanted. I do not like what is happening to this world Batman. I miss our game, I miss _us_. Unless you can get your head on straight, keep your fucking memory for more than 10 days, it's not going to go back."

Bruce let his hands hang at his side, his face blank, he had thought that Joker would like the 'chaos'. They were trying to stop it, why would Joker want to stop it? Maybe this wasn't just 'chaos', maybe it was something worse.

"Fine," he eventually said, still confused but he could see Joker's point. If cutting himself off from the other people in the house would help them finish this quicker, then so be it, he had no wish to 'hang out' with these_ villains_ anyway.

Batman backed out of the room, smart enough to know not to turn his back, and he walked, slowly, still in slight pain, to 'his' room. He sat on the chair, the one that Joker had sat in, and began to read the notes scrawled around the design of a small metal bug.

It was a mix of Joker's and Riddler's writing, with… was that his writing?

Joker: Back of the neck?

Riddler: Or base of the spine? Paralyse or control?

Batman: Paralyse, so we can reverse it properly.

Joker: You always take his side.

Batman: I like him more.

Joker: ?

Batman: He's smarter than you, and not as much of a smart-aleck.

Riddler: I should try harder.

Seeing this written down, this seemed so weird. He… acted like one of them, he had normal conversations.

It seemed so unreal. What could have happened to the world to make them act like this? To make Joker act normal, to make him like Riddler, to make Twoface want to hug him.

Batman knew that his former friends had attacked him, but he had no idea why, what was making them do it. Joker hadn't seen fit to tell him, what was so awful that Joker would refuse to tell him?

**I hope you liked it please leave a review -srsly I need cheering up.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi, uh, what can I say, I've had awful block and I'm unable to write on my laptop; I wrote this on my tablet... so yuh**

Batman spent the next two hours looking over the plans Joker had given him. It was essentially a spike that could be stuck into somebody's lower spine, which would release a chemical that would disable them until its removal, one time use. He assumed it was for use on the Justice League, his former friends. Though _why_ it was necessary was unknown to him still. He again _assumed_ that he would find out at this big meeting.

Which should be starting soon. Perhaps he should go and see who had arrived. He knew Two-face was here already, and was sitting in the former bedroom with Riddler, he had no idea what they were doing but there was a lot of laughing coming from the room now. He had heard a fair amount of movement in the house and he was sure that Riddler and Two-face were not the only people in that room now. He had heard at least 5 people cross his door, all being rather quiet, probably told not to disturb him.

He walked quietly from the room and popped his head into the livingroom, Joker wasn't in there anymore, obviously he had moved upstairs when the others had arrived.

He ascended the stairs and cautiously waited by the door, listening for any distinct voices, but he misstepped and a loud creak came from the floor under him. He let out and exhale as he heard the room go silent.

"That'll be Batman," Joker's voice came from somewhere behind the door. Batman stood silently as the door opened, feeling slightly embarrassed at his own mess up. "Don't just stand there," Joker growled, "We have your seat saved."

He felt his throat grow dry as he stepped into the room, he had never felt so self conscious as every eye in that room turned to him. So many people there who, last thing Bruce had known, were intent on killing him. Now they _smiled_.

His entire body was screaming at him to run, to get away from them because this _had_ to be a trap. There was no way these people would look at him like that, as if he were a friend, a _saviour_. This felt so wrong.

As he walked he felt something knock his hi, he let out a hiss of surprise at the force of it and looked down in terror thinking that this maybe was in fact a trap and he had just been hit by something, but he looked down and saw a pair of large, glassy eyes looking up at him. Hatter, smiling with crooked and unkempt teeth, let out a small squeak, "Bruce!" he called up to him as he tugged at his belt again, "It's been days since we saw you last why did you leave so fast?"

"Jervis," Riddler snapped from the front of the room, "I told you, he doesn't remember, leave him alone until he adjusts."

Hatter flinched at Riddler's tone but brightened up again immediately, his voice dropping to a whisper, "So we are watching a baby deer now? Mustn't scare the poor baby, so cute," he smiled, giving a small titter as he retook his seat.

Riddler hung his head and let out a small exasperated sigh, "Yes, Jervis, a baby deer…" He looked back up at Batman with a slight smile, noticing how incredibly uncomfortable he seemed, "Bruce," he said, gesturing to one of the chairs by him, "Your seat is here. Unless you would prefer to stand?"

Batman straightened himself, "I'll stand," he grumbled, moving to the corner of the room, near the window.

Riddler gave a swift nod to the man and pulled a copy of plans from under his own chair, "Ok," he said as he looked them over and pinned them to the board on the wall. "From what we can tell from the intel that Joker collected on his last round of the city, the Justice League has moved it's base 18' north, that means that we will, again, have to recalculate. This is the third time they've moved this month and there does not seem to be a pattern."

"I don't see why _we_ need to know," Ivy snarked from the back of the room.

Riddler's head dropped, and he lifted his hand to push his hat down on his head, "It is important that everyone knows what is going on. If you want to ignore this bit, then you can." He turned his head to Batman, "You looked over the plans we gave you, do you still agree that disabling the members if the best course of action?"

Batman paused, then nodded. This was all so surreal, Riddler seemed to be the leader of this group, he had never thought that would be the case, though as he thought about it, it did make sense. Riddler was the one that knew them all, he did work regularly for all of them so it made sense that in a crunch he would be the one to bring them together.

Riddler nodded happily, "Good," he smiled, "Ivy, I hope you have almost finished your toxin I-" he stopped midsentence, "Where is Jon? He's in your group isn't he?"

Ivy nodded, "Yes, he is, he wasn't feeling very well this morning so he decided to give the meeting a miss."

Riddler sighed again, "I keep telling you, Ivy: You cannot poison people in your group because they're annoying you!"

"I did warn him," Ivy growled in reply, "I don't need him anyway…"

"Everybody here is important," Riddler spelled out, "I know we don't all like each other but we're stuck like this until this is over."

Batman frowned as he leaned against the wall, still unable to get over how odd this all was. He couldn't stand much more of this nonsense, he was beginning to see why he'd left so many times.

"We have everything almost finished," Riddler continued, "It should take no longer than three weeks, maybe four if the League moves their base in that time, which seems likely."

"And then our dearest _Bruce_ will do infiltration…" Joker added.

"Yes," Riddler said gently, "But as you know we've not had time to go over that yet so I would appreciate if you _shut up_."

Batman frowned and looked between the two. He was supposed to go in there? He didn't even know what was going on and they expected _him_ to do it?

"What is it exactly that I'll be doing?" he asked tentatively, crossing his arms.

Riddler help up a finger to shush him, "All in good time. I want to get everything ready before we try this. I'll need help from you in making the device, I'll go through it with you slowly so you don't get overwhelmed."

"I won't get overwhelmed," Batman growled in answer. He was almost shocked as Riddler began to laugh.

"Oh, no, Bruce, you're forgetting that I've been through this before. I know exactly how much your mind can take."

Batman grit his teeth, anger rising in him, he couldn't stand this, if they talked to him like this he could see why he'd left before. He wanted to leave but he needed to know what was going on, so he stood and took the abuse, glaring at Riddler as he continued to talk.

**I hope you liked it, please leave a review!**


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